Think of exam classes, say parents

Parents have urged teachers not to disrupt students’ education as they begin industrial action at 500 second-level schools today.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) has ordered its 16,000 working members not to take part in meetings outside school hours or to take on unpaid administrative duties. It has also told them they are no longer obliged to supervise classes of colleagues who have taken students on class trips or other events during school time.

The action follows a recent ballot to reject the Haddington Road deal on public sector pay, meaning ASTI members will not get pay increases due to teachers who started working since 2011 or increments if they had been due them this year.

However, while there is no walkout planned at this stage, the National Parents’ Council-Post Primary (NPC-PP) said they have asked that students not be affected, particularly those preparing for Junior and Leaving Certificate exams next summer.

“There’s an ethical and moral obligation on teachers to realise that these children’s futures are at stake, particularly the Leaving Certificate students,” said NPC-PP spokesperson Jackie O’Callaghan.

The dispute could escalate to possible strike action if ASTI calls for the Government to speak to them continue to fall on deaf ears. Despite the disruption to students, parents, and school management, a Department of Education spokesperson said the minister, Ruairi Quinn, had no comment on the industrial action.

ASTI president Sally Maguire said “an appropriate talks process” could result in an outcome acceptable to both sides and which protects young people’s education.

Writing in today’s Irish Examiner, she said there is a sense among union members that education is seen as a soft touch when it comes to austerity.

“While the industrial action is designed to minimise any impact on students’ education, it is of course regrettable that we have been forced to cause disruption to the normal operation of schools in order to demonstrate to the Government the seriousness of our concerns,” she said.

She said parents have already been disrupted by the moving of some schools’ open nights forward to the start of this week, as ASTI members will not attend them as part of their action.

She said this could have affected work or child minding arrangements for some people, particularly those who work at night.